Plate-glass manufacture



Dec. 27, 1927. l,654,98

F. S. WHITLOCK PLATE GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed March 29. 1926 I5 Sheets-Sheet l i Hrs ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1927.

F, S. WHITLOCK PLATE GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed March 29. 1926 3 Shaets-Sheet .m mi

HIS A'TTURNEY 1,654,198 F S WHITLOCK PLATE GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed March 29. 1.926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 27, 1927.

H15 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. l27, I

UNITED STATES 1,654,198 PATENT OFFICE.I

FRANK S, WHITLOCK, F ROSSFORD', OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE. ASSIGNMENTS, T0 COMMERCIAL SAVINGS BANK & TRUSTCOMPANY, OF TOLEDO, QHIO.

PLATE-GLASS MANUFACTUREX 'Application med Maren 29, 1926. serial No. 98,092.

This invention relates to shaping molten material into slabs o`r plates.

This invention has utility when incorporated inthe roductionA of sheet glass, especially as a nished plate.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of an embodiment ofgthe invention for the manufacture of glass sheets or plates,

ioas for Windshields, automotive glass, winshow n as e dows, show-cases, etc.;

FiigfQ is va section on the line II--II, Fig.` l ;l D

Fig. 2A is ain enlarged detail of a trolley or'electric polling contact between the car or carrier and the stationary eurrentsupply;

Fig.l 3 is a fragmentary View on. an enlarged scale on the line III-111, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the guiding connection for the swinging upward of the lower or hinge carrying plate or member of the mold;

Fig; 5 i`s a section on the line V-V, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view on the line VI-VL Fig. 3;

Fig. l7 is a section on the line VII-VIL Fi.. 1'

ig.78 is a fragmentary detail view of the ejecting means for the plate from the mold;

Fig. 9is an enlarged section on the line IX-X, Fig. 8; v

Fig. 10 is a section on the line X--, Fier l: and

' Figfll is an enlarged detail view of the upper mold member lifting guide connection.

Moltenglass tank 1 has overhang 2 from which there is discharge slot 3 which may be normally closed by shear 4 (Fig. 3). Control station 5 *has therein hand levers 6 and starting lever for selecting by hand levers 6 car 8, and by control lever 7 determining the travel of such car on track 9, herein ndi and of circular form. The c is shown as having downf brackets 19 (Figs. 3, 7') 11'or axles l2- carrying i4, tor rolling on the tracks 9. in lever 6 has connection to a termiing by a rolling Contact 16, l with line 17 extending to motor through gearing 19 to propel.

ig the track 9. l, 9 is shown as having charging station and discharging or ejectiiig station'21. As the car 8 travels counter-clockwise from the station 21 to the station 20, fixed guide 22 (Fig. 4) has rollers 23, 24, mounted on bracket 25 coact with such fixed uide 22 during the car travel and thus e ect swinging of plate mold member 26 on hinge 27 (Fig. 3) 'at its support or mounting on bracket 28 carried by the car 8. This swinging" of the mold member 26 is from horizontal rest position on ledge 29 of the bracket 28 to upright, or approximatelv upright position at station where the plate 2'6 is backed by roller 30 carried by stationary bracket 31 mounted on base 32 at this station 20.

The mold member 26 has hinge 33 connecting the mold section 26 with opposing plate mold member 34. Thegframe 32 at the station 20 is a brace about the track 9 and carries, opposing thebracket 31, bracket 35 upon which is mounted cylinder 36 having piston 37. This piston 37 isnormally retracted into the cylinder 36 by spring 38, This bracket 35 additionally carries gylinder 39 from which extends iston rod 40 to arm 41 having fixed pivot caring 42 adjacent the tank overhang or boot 2. This arm 41 is an actuatingarm of an angle lever having depending arm 43 having slot connection 44 withl shear 4, for reciprocating such shear in guideway 45 transversely of the slot outlet 3 from the boot or overhang 2 so that the operator at the station 5 by means of control 'arm 46 may allow control of suction from line 47 by Way of line 48 to the cylinder 39 for lowering piston rod 40 and thus eii'cctinv Severin action ofthe shear f 4 on the flow of glass om pool 49 to be delivered as a longitudinally extending gob 50 between the mold members 26, 34.

As such gather or horizontally extending gob of glass, as a molten mass, is dropping from the opening 3 assevered from the other glass by the shear 4, it falls toward the hinge 33. It is desirable to check this flow of glass in its descent.` To this end, the operator in the station 5 may operate hand lever 51 to control flow of power fluid from the line 52 into the line 53 for actuating the piston 37 against the spring 38 so that roller 54 is thrust againstthe back of the mold member or plate 34 to swing such plate or member 34 on its hinge 33 toward and into arallelism with the plate member 26. It is desirable that the operator so time this closing Iii) action for this book type of I'nold, that the gather' 50 of molten glass is engaged approxi-A mately centrally, or somewhat above the center of the mold region, and as soengaged the continuation of the closing action, as

brought about by the piston andcylinder action of the device 36, 37, distributes this molten mass upwardly back along this course of descent, as well as downwardly toward the hinge 33 for approximating a minimum of flow in the mold for this mass of glass. There is momentum in this dropping gather and thetiming of the mold section 34 may advantageously be to engage such gather above the central region, if not very close to the top, and thus so check the gravity fall and squeeze out the upper portion of such gather toward the top of the mold, there to have the excess flood out ina completion of the cast for the plate.

There is considerable severity or strain in this quick lunging action for the production ot' glass plate, and it is desirable rigidly to maintain the position ot' the'niold members 26, 34. The bracket 31 is a material factor to such end, but in order that the freedom of travel 0f the wheels 13, 14, on the tracks 9 may not develop a lost motion to result objectionably'the car shifting laterally when 'roller 5l swings the plate -l on its hinge 33, there is provided additional holding means for the lar 8. This is shown as comprising a bracket 57; carrying roller 56 coacting with fixed guide 57 carried by the bracket 35.

The mold members QG, 3l, are shown as faced t'or providing a finished surface for the casting. To this end, these mold members 26, 34, are notl only of a surt'ace con figuration for the plate7 say as smooth for uniform thickness glass, but for a temperature holding characteristic which may be o't such degree as not to detract i'rom the tire inish or strain eliminated surface. This avoidance of excessive superlicial cooling, which may detract from the degree of trans paiency, is herein avoided by the provision of electric heating elements 58 in the mountings or backers for the mold plates Q6, 34, directly connected to the cars 8 by trolleys 16 which may be independently ot the con trol devices ti, 7. There is. accordingly. here means for raising the degree ot' heat of these plates, and this degree is controlled b v rheostat 59 as to each pair ot' these mold platesQtS, 34. This degree may depend upon lthe thickness ot' the plate; the .'onsistency of the molten charge; the frequency of receiv ing molten charge: as well as the composition ol' the glass. The thickness ot' the plate is determined by the hinge 25?'3 which may be selected for the desired plate thick-l ness in bringing the plate members 226, 3l, into Jarallelism. i

W1th this pressing or primary casting operation occurring at station i0, the cutting off of power air by the handle 51 releases the roller 54 so that .the spring 37 may be effective for retracting such roller. The starter control 7. may be operated thus causing the ear 8 to travel further counterclockwise and away from the charging station 20. In this travelLthe guide 22 has connection with guide 23 giving the reverse rocking to the glass mold 26, 34, to that which the mold received in its travel to this station 20. Accordingly, the mold member 26 is swung into position on the rest 29 and the cast as thus freshly made is at once in the horizontal position tending to relieve any gravity strains which might tend to accrue if there were left the mass of glass in the vertical position. Accordingly, all the gravity load ot this molten mass is directly taken in the thin direction of the casting and distributed throughout upon the plate 26. This travel from the station 2() may be to kick or impel the cars ahead to the station 21 or it may be that the car 8 from the station 2() has just shifted clear of the. station 20 and the car in advancenear the station 2l is individually moved from the station 2.1. The sequence ot operations, is entirely under the control of the operator at the station 5, and there may be a casting of several blanks at the station i0 allowing such to bestored between the stations 20, 2l, even for a time of more or less extensive annealing in the mold due to the. controllable action of the heating elements 58. This extent of annealing may be prol'iortional in time as desired b v the ex tensiveness of the track 9. As the car 8 nears the station 2l, bracket 59 on the mold member 34 has its rollers 60 (Fig. 1l) engage tixed `guide 61, and in traveling to the station 21, this guide 6l elevates the mold member 3l in swinging away from the horizontally disposed plate member 2G which still carries the cast. The plate memberl is shown with side leaves 62 as limit means for the extent of the plate, in the casting operation. The. lifting of the plate 3l clears these leaves 62 from the sides ofthe lower or supporting mold member 26. Adjacent the hinge there is looselyY mounted on the plate member 26, angle member 63` (Figs. 8. 9) terminating in terminal plates 64 having trunnions G5. The plates G4 sustain the angle member G3 by rollers 6U as shit'table. along track 6T in the casting of mold meniber QG.

The operator at. the station 5 has available hand lever 68 (Figs. l, 7) for controlling motive tluid to cylinder G9 and by operating such band lever (i8 may eil'ect thrustingl o' the piston rod 70 away from the station 5 to earr)v fork 7l outward over rollers T12. This fork Tl terminates in prong pairs for engaging the trunnions 65 and ellccting a slight. litt and thrusting forward ot the IUS llt)

lili) angle member S3 thus to shift the cast plate T4 off the mold member 26 through. lerr finzi-ging door 75 into leer chamber 76 upon oonvryor 77 in such leer. The hand lever muy be operatrd to retract the fork 71 thug` to reset tho angle member 63 adjacent thv hinggfx 33 of the plato castin r mold. The operator in the station 5 may t en continue the conntrrclockxrise travel of this;I rar 8 so that guido T8, as a continuation of the guide Ul, muy lower the upper pluto member 3l against the lower plate member 26. This travel of the mold may stop as leaving)r th Station 21, :unl unothor @or S ho taken up :r3 adjacent the station 21 und moved into the, station 2() for a repetition of this cyclo of operations, wherein the guide Z2 swings the closed mold from horizontal position tho member QG rests upon the ledge 29 to vertical position as coming into station Q0 with the mold lnrmhvr 2G harkrd np by tho roller 30.

The cmlrollor 5t) for the heating element has cable connection Tt) permitting thi wringing action of the pinto meinbrrrl with tho wnrol for tho homing rlwnents lhrroin mi :illimwl lo lw doo/nini tmnporntnio nrsinfonzmro fir thon@ plates. M. this ontnnrv -ino thu @tation 20, with tho pluto 26 in the upright position` the mass of the. philo C54 i upward from tho hing@ 3?, unil this; platr TH i once falls ty :i slightly opi-ning pini non :wanner the rollo-r 5f! and :ill is in rpmlinrw lor u rrpotiion olf' ihr:- ryrlr of oprm-- tions, Thr, handle 4G is then wnng l'or minis-acting( i,garnir-r ilnid line 52 to lh:l motivo ims 45;. time: cli'rrtivo for thrusting upward th piston roel #lll :nul shifting; th shrmf Y for one' fn: the Way i to :illow n flow o.' molten ging?, from ihr pool 4) to toward the open book mold 34. i f i'iithvr quantity l`w1-=Cenlling apprnxilnzitrs flm for tho masa of thv casting. 1hr handle lli in ninnipulutw! to ronnuv (hr rienion lino l? thin; to bring about n @"nmriirLY action und ihn closure of the mohl is :it onrv oll'rlflusl by the hmnlle 5l for shaping thiS jarhm' into the lwirvrl forni of uniting. :u: :L huit or plain mi' lronrlpnrenl glam.

from the point of siitfiwg- 2. The melhml of forniamo- ;flzis finti# comprising forming s, gnb ci renter mtr-m horizontally than vertically, catrhing soil goh in iwI descent to inrrfa.. its wrlirfnl en' tent. and nt onli@ @i119 5 sin rin/Ellen Shin 7. i *in mail.;

anis.,

" for @miliari glass mz'pri; ing,

intimi-dij.' hay A aha amid tannini-ii, unions loinn ng: zahl *ns-reihen uw; par

or. nach of said carriers, andirecting means operating the molds dnring shifting.

l0. Glass manufacturing apparatus comprising,f a series of molds, carriers for the molds in a circuit, independent actuating means tor the different carriers, one on each carrier, for shifting said carriers relatively to cach other along said circuit, and directing means for operating the molds independently of said shitting.

ll. ln the manufacture et' sheet glass, the forming.; lt" a flat gather, the dropping of :and gat? into an apwardiy open mold pocket, and the closing of such pocket about said gather.

l2. A receiver for molten glass comprising a pair of plate mold members, a hori- Zontally extending hinge axis therebetween yconnecting said members rlto permit said members to move into parallel relation to form a plate cast for molten glass there between, heating means for each plato member mounted in fixed relation thereto, and a control for the heatingr means as to which the plate members are morante.

lf. A. receiver for molten ,glass comprising.r a lirst plate mold nieinbcr. a second plate mold member movable into opposing relation with the first plate mold member to forni a plate cast molten dass there between, heating nanas for the movable member connecte-i in risc-tl relation thereto for movement therewith, and a control for the heating means as to which the plate members are movable.

14. A receiver for molten glass comprising' a plate sustaining member, a roller mounting permitting horizontal shifting of said member to more with a plate of glass for cooling thereon, heating means for said plate member mounted in said member in fixed r lation thereto, and a control for the heating means for checking the rate ot' coolingr ot said glass.

15. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, a series of molds cach comprising oppositely disposed mold plates. directing means or positioning each mold in receiving position with its mounting spaced substantially vettical, controllable means adjacent said receiving position for operating upon each m-..-l-.l for moving a mfld plate in receiving position toward an opposing mold plate, carrier means to move the molds from receiving position, and healing means within said opposing mold plates for retarding the rate of cooling of the glass therein.

16. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, a series of molds each comprising two mo`=.l plates hinged together adjacent one edge, directing means for placing each mold in receiving position with its hinged side downward and with the plates diverging npwardly, manually operable controlling mean adjacent the receiving position for bringing said plates into parallelism as a closed mold, orienting means for moving the molds into a substanti-all)Y horizontal position for the rt-A lspectire formed sheets therein. controllabh heating means n the sheet sustaining platea and carrier means for the plates and heatingy means from said receiving position.

ln witness whereof I aflix mv signature.

FRANK s. wnrrLoCit.

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